Method for making progressively reduced tubes



June-24, 1930. f v y w. WITHINGTON 0 METHOD FOR MAKING PROGRESSIVELY REDUCED TUBES Filed'sept. 28, 1928 Patented June 24, 1930.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFF ICE WINTHROP WITHINGTON, 0F\CLEVELA1\TD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR 'ro THE AMERICAN FORK & HOE COMPANY, or CLEVELAND, onro, noonronnrron or orrxo METHOD FOR MAKING PROGRESSIVELY REDUCED TUBES Applieation filed September 28, 1928. Serial No. 309,097.

This invention relates to methods for forming tubes of-varying diameters and relates particularly to the provision of an improved method for forming a tube of thin sheet metal, the finished tube to comprise successive longitudinally disposed integral sections of successively less and less diameters proceeding from an end of the tube toward its other end.

More particularly my invention relates to an improved method for making tubes or shafts adaptable for use for golf clubs, fishing rods, or the like.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved process for economical manufacture of stepped tubular shafts for golf clubs, fishing rods or the like.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved method of producing stepped tubular shafts or rods wherein successive longitudinally disposed sections are of successively less and less diameters, and in which the finished sections are substantially tubular in form, with rounded shoulders provided between the sections.

Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will become apparent from the following description of a process embodying my invention, and by reference to the accompany'ing drawings illustrating successive forms which a sheet metal blank may be caused to take after being operated upon according to the different steps of my improved process.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig.1 illustrates a strip of sheet metal being passed between rolls to vary the thickness of the strip in different portions of its length.

. Figs. 2, 3 and 4: illustrate, respectively, the form of a rolled sheet of metal after being blanked by a press or the like to effect a proper shape for the sheet whereby succeeding steps of the process may be more advan tageously carried out, Fig. 3 being an enlargement of a fragmental' portion of the blankof Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of such a fragment as illustrated in Fig. 3. j I

Fig. 5 is a view of a fragmental portion of gree up to a separation of .016 inches.

the blank of Fig. 3 after a forming operation has been accomplished thereon.

Fig. 6 illustrates a fragment of the work after a further step of the process.

Fig. 7 illustrates the Work with a metallic binding insert applied thereto for a purpose hereinafter explained.

Fig. 7 is an end elevational view ofthe partially completed tube of Fig. 7.

Fig. 8 illustrates a fragment of a finished tubular shaft resulting from the carrying out of the different steps of my improved process.

In the above figures it will be understood that in order to illustrate the process by means of drawings, illustrations have been made in some of the figures, particularly, with the transverse dimensions multiplied and the longitudinal dimensions reduced, so that the principles of my invention may be readily understood, even though usually the work operated upon will be made much longer, relative to the transverse dimensions as illus trated, which may be relatively reduced.

For instance, assuming that it is desired to make a shaft for golf clubs having the form of the golf shaft illustrated in United States Letters Patent to Robert H. Cowdery, No. 1,670,530 dated May 22, 1928, the successive steps of the process embodying the principles of my invention .may be illustrated as shown'in the drawings, although the relative dimensions, as might be sealed from the drawings, would be varied as will be well un-.

be formed according to my improved proc-- ess in the following way.

First a strip of sheet metal of a width of about inches is. passed between cylindrical rolls 1 and 2 of Fig. 1, which operate upon a strip 42 inches long, and placed with its opposed surfaces spaced about .012 inches apart, when the entering end of a strip having an initial thickness of .016 inches passes between the rolls, and thence as the strip is progressively passed through the rolls, the rolls are separated to a somewhat greater-fille- 1s for producing a shaft'for golf clubs or the one of the end edges of the blank, and con-.

like, whose wall thickness is to vary from .012 inches at one end to .016 inches at the other end.

As described in the said Cowdery atent, I prefer to make tubular golf shafts with the walls thickened toward that end Which is of less diameter, and I therefore preferabl prepare the strip, from which the shaped lilank of Figs. 2 and 3 is made, with its thickness varying, say, from .016 at one end, to .012 at the other end, and in subsquently cutting, by means of suitable dies, the blank of Figs. 2 and 3 from the strip. I place the strip in the press between the blank dies with the thicker end 3 disposed at that end of the die where the resulting blank is of less width and the other end 4 of lesser thickess, at the end of the die forming the blank portion of greater width.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate'the shape of the blank as it'is shaped b the shearing effect of suitable dies, or after eing sheared from the strip 5 of Fig. 1 in any suitable manner. It

is to be understood that in Figs. 2 and 3, the

transverse lines 6 and the longitudinal medial line 7, are only employed indicatively for a purpose later described.

The form of the blank is that shown by the solid border lines 8, 9 and .10, which define a strip of sheetmetal sheared at both sides along parallel lines for short distances, and then the width of the sheared strip is increased for a second length of strip and the str 1s successively widened in portions proce 1n g longitudinally of the strip in one direction, and the successive sections having parallel sides so formed by shearing, are progressively increased inwidth preferably, in

the case of the golf shaft blank, by an amount equal to .047 inches for each strip, the total increase from the end section of less widthto the end section of greatest width being thus accumulatively about'l inch in a golf shaft whose greatest diameter of section is inch and whose less diameter of section is niches, these values being approximate.

Fig. 3 shows the form of both lateral and tains also a showing of the medial line 7 and izhe tgansverse arcuate lines 6, illustrated in The blank so formed, is then subjected to a formlng operationwherein each successive section, such as the seoti-onsll, 12, 13 and 14,

are displaced in ste ped relative roducin shoulders 15 at the ihnctions of tli e stepped flat sect ons. Each of the stepped sections has a pair of parallel side ed es 8 and arcuate ends, such as the end edge 9 or the section 11, and the arcuate transversely extending shoulder border6 for said section, and also the intermediate sections such as 12 and 13 have parallel sides 8 and arcuate border portions and 16.

1 Have indicated by dotted lines, the locaformed tubeof Fig. 7.

tion of the borders 1 6 for the sections 12, 13 and 14. The metal between the construction lines 6 and 16, of Fig. 3, is formed into the inclined shoulder portions ,15 in the suc- I ceeding step of the forming process, result-.

parallel plane, and the shoulders are formed arcuately on radii having a common center, indicated at C, Fig. 2, these radii being indicated as converging1 to the point C, the longest one defining t e arcuate edge 9, being marked Radial line, as is also'the shortest one, forming the arcuateedgelO at the smaller end of the blank.

The shoulders formed between the construction lines 6 and 16 in the'sheet metal pressed to rounded form, which will be better illustrated in the figures of drawing il-v lustrating further steps of the process. V

The stepped stri is then folded into the form of a tube-by rst giving it the form of a stepped trough, as illustrated in Fig. 5, which illustrates the stepped sections as being of approximately semi-cylindrical form, and the edges 8 are then brought together. Fig. 6 illustrates the edges brought very nearly together and Fig. 7 illustrates one way of uniting the edges whichhavebeen infolded to give the work the form-of a stepped tube having sections each of succes "vely less and less diameteys, each section being preferably in the form of a cylinder, the sections being joined by rounded shoulders offsetting the successive sections relative to the adjacent sections.

The edges 8 of the seam extending longitudinally of the tube formed according to the preceding steps, may be secured together in any suitable way, such as by welding, brazing, or according to the method of securing the edges of a seamed tubular shaft, illustratresponding to the offset of the walls of the.

tubular sections 11, 12, 13 and 14, etc of the .patent, but comprising stepped sections, ex-

cept that the upstanding flange 19 of the strip is preferably not deflected laterally until integral sections I after its insertion between the matched edges 8 of the seamed tube.

Fig. 7 a shows the strip 17 with its base flanges 18 in engagement with the inner wall of the tube and its upstanding flange 19, deflected laterally as illustrated at 20, intimately engaging the outer surface of the border portion of one of the edges 8. p

The thin steel strip being placed between the edges and overlapping in close contact the inner and outer surface of the tube, as described, the edges and strip mutually support j each other in proper relation for brazing. A cuprous brazing material, such as pure copper, silver, or copper aluminum alloy, is then placed in the form of wire within the tube adjacent the connecting strip, and held in that relation by any suitable means while the tube is inserted in a furnace in an atmosphere of hydrogen, kept at a temperature about the melting point of copper. The fused copper will then run into the interstices between the connecting strip. 17 and the adjacent portions of the body of the tube, forming a very secure union beween these parts.

The surplus connecting material, comprising projecting portions of the strip flange 19, and of the brazing material, are then subsequently removed by grinding or in any other suitable way, to give the finished tube the form as illustrated'in Fig. 8, the seam com-' prising the joining portion of the strip flange 19 being hardly visible, and may be concealed by any suitable protective coating which may be given the exterior surfaces of the tube before it is embedded in commercial articles such as golf shafts.

I may practice my invention in some em bodiments without progressively increasing the thickness of wall of the strip illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, towards one end of the strip, but I find that such a preliminary process is highly desirable to give the resultant shaft, when used for golf club shafts, the most desirable distribution of weight and resiliency in difierent longitudinally disposed relative portions of the tube.

Where such a preliminary operation is not had for golf club shafts, the smaller ends of the shafts are preferably larger in diameter than where the walls of such end portions are thickened in order to avoid undue breakage of the shafts.

Although I have described one method of securing the edges, comprising the seam of the tubular shaft, together, my invention is not limited thereto, and the edges may be secured inany suitable Way.

I reserve the right also to accomplish the steps of my improved process simultaneously at one operation, since within the skill of the tervals throughout substantially the entire length of the strip, interposed between longitudinally disposed strip sections of successively less and less width proceeding towards an end of the strip, then bodily offsetting the successively narrowed sections to form steps extending transversely across the strip between the inclined edge portions, then transversely arcuately folding the stepped strip to bring the side edges into contiguously opposed relative positions, and then rigidly securing the contiguous side edges together.

2. The method of making tubes comprising shearing from a thin sheet of steel asubstantially flat strip having its longitudinal side edges inclined progressively inwardly at intervals throughout substantially the entire length of the strip, interposed between longitudinally disposed strip sections of successively less and less width proceeding towards an end of the strip, then bodily offsetting the successively narrowed sections to form steps extending arcuately transversely across the strip between the inclined edge portions,

then transversely arcuately folding the stepped strip to bring the side edges into contiguously opposed relative positions, and then rigidly securing the contiguous side edges together.

3. The method of making tubes comprising shearing from a thin sheet of steel a substantially fiat strip having its longitudinal side edges inclined progressively inwardly at intervals throughout substantially the entire length of the strip, interposed between longitudinally disposed strip sections of successively less and less Width proceeding toward an end of the'strip, then bodily offsetting the successively narrowed sections to form steps extending arcuately transversely across the strip between the inclined edge portions, the arcuately extending steps between the successively offset sections being all formed on radii having a substantially common center, then transversely arcuately folding the stepped strip to bring the side edges into contiguously opposed felativepositions, performance of any of the above successive and then rigidly securing the contiguous side edges together.

4. The method of making tubes comprising cutting from a thin sheet of resilient metal a substantially flat strip having integral lonintegrally. securing the edges ,termediate the se'ctions'being relatively oppositely inclined to an equal degree from the axis of the strip, then offsetting the sections successively to form steps having an inclined ofi'settingconnection portion, and then'fold ing the strip arcuately to bring the lateral edges of the strip together, and then intestrip areuately to bring the lateral edges of the strip together, and then rigidly securing the edges togethe'r.

9. The method of making tubes compris- I ing the passing of a thin sheet of metal between rolls, meanwhile varying the spacing between the rolls progressively, and then cut- 7 ting therefrom a blank in the form of a strip thicker at one end than at the other end, havin integrallongitudinally aligned straightsi ed sections of successively greater width proceeding toward the thinner end of the str'ip,bod1ly ofisetting the sections, then folding the strip arcuately to bring the lateral edges of the strip together, and then rigidly securing the edges together. 1

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 26th day of September, 1928. WINTHROP WITHINGTON.

grally securin the edges togetherthrough- I outthei-r lengt s.

6.--The method of making tubes comprising cuttin -''from a-- thin sheet of resilient metal a su stantially flat strip having integral longitudinally aligned straightesided sections 'of successively greater width pro ceeding towards one end of the strip, ofl'setting'the sections successively to form steps having an inclined offsetting connection portion, and then folding the strip arcuately to bring the lateral edges of the strip together, and then integrally securing the edges together throughout their lengths, the offsettingl connecting portions intermediate each of'the sections, being arcuately formed on radii of successively increased length proceedin toward the' wides'tportion'of the ,striprallof the radiihaving' substantially a common center disposed beyond the narrowest end of the strip in the projection of the longitudinal axis thereof. I

in 7. The method of making tubes compris- 'fling cutting from a thin sheet of resilient metal a substantially flat strip thicker at one end thamat the other end, having integral,

longitudinally" aligned straight sided sections;-'of'successively greater width proceed-- ing'-towards-"onelend=ofthe strip, and bodily offsettingth sect-ionathen folding'the strip mt elyto brifigithe lateral edges of the strip together an edges together.

8. The method of making tubes comprising the passing of a thin sheet of metal between then rigidly securing the rolls, In anwhile varying the spacing between the. ro s'progressively, and uthen cutting therefrom a blank in the form of a strip I thickerait one end thanat the other end, having integral longitudinally aligned straightsided sections of successively greater width proceeding towards one end of the strip bodily oifsettin'g the sections, then folding the 

